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Forum DIET & CARE Why are haradwood wood stove pellets bad again?

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    • Moonlight_Wolf
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        I seem to remember that hardwood wood stove pellets were a no no. But when I came back from college my mom was using them I seem to remember that they were bad because some hardwoods are poisonous, and the bunnies could eat them. But mu bunnies have their litter covered with a grid so they can’t eat the litter anyways.

        So why is hardwood litter bad again?


      • Sarita
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          If it’s the woodstove pellets, hardwood is fine due to the way they are processed, so don’t worry.


        • peppypoo
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            Some wood shavings are not good for bunnies because of the smell – even if the bunnies can’t eat they it can be a problem.

            However, like Sarita said, hardwood wood stove pellets are fine.


          • KytKattin
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              I personally use them, as do many others on this forum I believe. I absolutely love them as odor control! They can’t be beat!


            • LoveChaCha
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                I LOVE wood stove pellets as litter! So cheap and a bag lasts me months.


              • Moonlight_Wolf
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                  Okay thanks for some reason i was under the impression that hardwood wood stove pellets were poisonous because I think redwood is poisonous or something. Thanks guys!


                • tobyluv
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                    The only caution that I’ve ever heard about woodstove pellets is to make sure that they are plain and not treated with any kind of accelerant. I know that oak and pine are used to make pellets. I’m not sure what other woods are used.


                  • KytKattin
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                      I personally would not use them for other small rodents (I say that knowing that rabbits aren’t rodents, lol), but because rabbits can go freely in and out of their boxes and aren’t on them 24/7 I think they work great!

                      And yes, redwood/pine shavings are quite bad. It is all in how they are prepared for usage.


                    • RabbitPam
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                        Accelerant, an additive to wood stove pellets for starting your fires quickly, is the only thing that made them bad. That’s what you’re remembering. WSP without any additives are quite good to use.
                        Pine pellets and Aspen pellets are both excellent. Aspen is more expensive, but is the best odor absorber of all.

                        Aspen shavings are safe, too.

                        Pine or cedar shavings are NOT safe, as they give off fumes that have long term hazardous effects. I have seen some Wood Shavings being sold lately in my local big box pet stores, and I would not use those either. It’s likely, since it’s unidentified “wood” that they are pine in part or some kind of mix that you can’t be sure of. Hope this clarifies.


                      • Elrohwen
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                          Hardwood is perfectly fine.

                          It’s actually the softwoods that are toxic in shaving form, like cedar and pine, while hardwoods lack the volatile compounds that can harm lungs. Softwoods are fine in pellet form though because of the way they are processed. Hardwood shavings like aspen are also fine because they don’t have the harmful compounds.


                        • wendyzski
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                            *nods*  Hardwood pellets are fine – I use them


                          • FluffyBunny
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                              Posted By peppypoo on 05/20/2012 08:50 AM

                              Some wood shavings are not good for bunnies because of the smell – even if the bunnies can’t eat they it can be a problem.

                              However, like Sarita said, hardwood wood stove pellets are fine.

                              It’s not just the smell – most wood shavings (besides aspen) are bad for small animals’ livers and respiratory systems due to the phenols in the wood. They also tend to be quite dusty, which can irritate sensitive bunnies. Wood stove pellets and some other pine litters are kiln dried, which removes the phenols.

                              I love wood stove pellets. I’ve been using them for my bunnies for years, and I’ve also started using them as a bedding for my pet mice. They’re very cheap – I get them for $4 per 40 lb. bag – and are also very absorbant. They have a pleasant (but not overpowering) pine smell that doesn’t bother the bunnies. I’ve never had a problem with either of my bunnies eating them, but I imagine they wouldn’t be much worse than apple/willow sticks. If you’re worried, you can just stick a grate over your litter box.


                            • Slippers
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                                I’ve been using wood stove pellets for 6 months now, and I stock up because here in the desert they aren’t available during the summer months. There haven’t been any issues at all. I bought a cement mixer tub from home depot, line it with newspaper, and fill the bottom with wood stove pellets. Then I put a hay rack above the litter tub, and the bunnies love it. The more hay they pull from the rack, it covers the pellets. I’ve never seen them eat the wood pellets.


                              • Moonlight_Wolf
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                                  Okay thanks guys, good to know! I knew  that pine was fine after it was made into pellets, but was just unsure about hardwood! I also love wood stove pellets – they are great and cheap too! I save a lot by getting wood stove pellets and baled hay! My bunnies are fairly economical. Especially since we also use their litter in the compost during the summer!


                                • Mr.Buck
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                                    There’s a store called Tractor Supply, it looks like they’re in almost every state and multiples of them, not sure if you guys live near one, but if you run out of your stocked up supply, you could look for one. They have both regular wood stove pellets and Equine Fresh for horses. The guy at my store told me they carry it year round, and even if you can’t find wood stove pellets, I’m sure you can find EF because people don’t stop having horses just because it’s summer.

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                                Forum DIET & CARE Why are haradwood wood stove pellets bad again?